Physical Performance Benefits Research Articles

Trait Energy and Fatigue Modify Acute Ingestion of an Adaptogenic-Rich Beverage on Neurocognitive Performance

Background: Psychological research considers traits as a long-standing pre-disposition to an individual’s mood, whereas short-term feelings are categorized as states. We previously reported similar overall acute mental performance benefits between an adaptogen-rich, caffeine-containing energy shot (e+Energy Shot–e+Shot; Isagenix International, LLC) and a caffeine-matched placebo Since the publication of that study, multiple studies have reported that trait mental and physical energy (TME/TPE), and trait mental and physical fatigue (TMF/TPF) status modify the effect of various interventions on neurocognitive performance. Therefore, we reevaluated our previously published work and accounted for the four traits. Methods: Participants (n = 30) completed a series of questionnaires to determine baseline trait energy and fatigue measures. Then, participants performed a 27 min battery of neurocognitive tasks before and three times after consuming the study beverages with 10 min breaks between each post-consumption battery of tests. Data from the previous study were re-analyzed using linear mixed-effects models. Results: We now report that the adaptogen product significantly improved mood and cognitive test responses in individuals stratified by initial TME, TPE, TMF, and TPF status. Moreover, this reevaluation also indicated that the caffeine placebo significantly increased heart rate and blood pressure in those subjects initially characterized by low physical and mental energy. Conclusions: In summary, a post-hoc re-analysis of our initial study suggests that consumption of the adaptogen-rich, caffeine-containing product preferentially benefited individuals with initial low TME/TPE and high TMF status when compared to caffeine alone. These findings also support our previous study suggesting that adaptogens may promote mental and physical performance benefits while modulating potentially negatively associated responses to caffeine.

Examining the effect of transcranial direct current stimulation on the dominant motor cortex in the indirect measurement of physical ability

Background: The effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on specific sports skills have received extensive attention, however, it is difficult to accurately determine its effect on physical performance due to the complexity of the tasks. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of uni-hemispheric anodal tDCS of the motor cortex (M1) on the indirect measurement of physical ability in healthy men. Methods: Thirteen healthy, right-leg-dominant men aged between 21 and 32 years (26.53 ± 2.73 years) participated in two different experimental conditions in a randomized, single-blinded crossover design: anodal stimulation (a-tDCS) and sham-tDCS (2 mA for 20 minutes targeting the left M1 contralateral to dominant leg). Before and immediately after the tDCS stimulation, participants completed the standing long jump (SLJ) and sidestep test (SST), and their blood pressure and heart rate were checked for the safety of tDCS application. Results: No significant difference was observed between a-tDCS and sham-tDCS (F(1,24) = 0.02, p = 0.86, ηp2 = 0.001) on SLJ. Also, no significant changes in SLJ were observed between pre- and post-stimulation sessions for both conditions (F(1,24) = 1.18, p = 0.28, ηp2 = 0.047). Similarly, SST scores were not significantly different from a-tDCS and sham-tDCS condition (F(1,24) = 0.57, p = 0.45, ηp2 = 0.024). Significant changes in SST were not observed throughout the experiment sessions for both stimulation conditions (F(1,24) = 0.12, p = 0.73, ηp2 = 0.005). Conclusions: The uni-hemispheric a-tDCS applied over the M1 for 20 minutes may not be a valuable tool to obtain the physical performance benefits from the tasks that require bilateral lower limb power output, such as SLJ and SST.

Community-Based Fall Prevention and Exercise Programs for Older Adults

Community-based exercise and fall prevention programs afford older adults the opportunity to engage in group-based activities that promote health and wellness, physical activity, and social interaction. This review will analyze eight programs, commonly offered to older adults, that utilize various instructional modes to target health promotion through exercise, falls efficacy, and education. All of the programs are supported by randomized control or quasi- experimental designs and have been found to reduce falls, reinforce falls efficacy, or improve some aspect of functional mobility. Program designs vary and include seminar-style instruction, exercise class activities, or a hybrid approach with interprofessional outreach. Physical performance benefits are based on a variety of outcomes. The Timed Up and Go (TUG) assessment was the most frequently administered outcome among programs, though the magnitude of improvement varied. Programs have become more accessible as outreach has extended to rural underserved areas and nontraditional settings such as faith-based organizations. Community-based programs offer older adults health promotion opportunities through exercise and education initiatives. Program designs vary and target different constructs of exercise and wellness to meet the needs of a wide variety of aging seniors. As a result of large-scale dissemination endeavors, programs are now extending to rural areas while maintaining operational fidelity.

The Impact of Exercise On Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Patients

The Impact of Exercise on Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Patients Background: Preliminary research in exercise with patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation shows similar positive benefits in physical performance and fatigue to research in cancer and physical activity. Small sample sizes, lack of randomization and heterogeneity of settings limit translation in to clinical practice. The aims of this study were to 1) test the feasibility (recruitment, adherence and attrition) of introducing an exercise intervention versus attention control with patients undergoing a hematopoietic stem cell transplant and 2) examine the relationship between the exercise intervention versus the attention control on functional capacity, fatigue, perceived exertion, muscular strength, cardio-pulmonary status A third, exploratory aim was to examine the relationships of attitudes, intention to exercise, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control and exercise behavior. (Based on The Theory of Planned Behavior, Ajzen, 1992) Sixty participants were randomly assigned to either the exercise intervention or the attention control group. Groups met three times per week for one hour. Participants were followed during the stem cell collection (if applicable), chemotherapy and recovery of their white count, typically for six weeks. Outcomes included functional performance (Functional Performance Inventory), fatigue (Schwartz Cancer Fatigue Scale), cardio-pulmonary status (Six Minute Walk) and muscular strength (grip strength test and step ascent test). Compared to the attention control group, the intervention group showed a statistically significant difference on functional performance (P= .041), fatigue (P= .041), cardiovascular and pulmonary status (P= .001) and one measure of muscular strength (P < .001). Intention to exercise and perceived behavioral control explained 20% and 25% of the variance in exercise behavior (respectively). This pilot study provides support that an exercise program during transplant can improve function, cardiopulmonary status and fatigue. Intention to exercise and a belief that an exercise program is under their control contributes to exercise adherence.

Manual therapy, exercise therapy, or both, in addition to usual care, for osteoarthritis of the hip or knee: a randomized controlled trial. 1: clinical effectiveness

To evaluate the clinical effectiveness of manual physiotherapy and/or exercise physiotherapy in addition to usual care for patients with osteoarthritis (OA) of the hip or knee. In this 2×2 factorial randomized controlled trial, 206 adults (mean age 66 years) who met the American College of Rheumatology criteria for hip or knee OA were randomly allocated to receive manual physiotherapy (n=54), multi-modal exercise physiotherapy (n=51), combined exercise and manual physiotherapy (n=50), or no trial physiotherapy (n=51). The primary outcome was change in the Western Ontario and McMaster osteoarthritis index (WOMAC) after 1 year. Secondary outcomes included physical performance tests. Outcome assessors were blinded to group allocation. Of 206 participants recruited, 193 (93.2%) were retained at follow-up. Mean (SD) baseline WOMAC score was 100.8 (53.8) on a scale of 0-240. Intention to treat analysis showed adjusted reductions in WOMAC scores at 1 year compared with the usual care group of 28.5 (95% confidence interval (CI) 9.2-47.8) for usual care plus manual therapy, 16.4 (-3.2 to 35.9) for usual care plus exercise therapy, and 14.5 (-5.2 to 34.1) for usual care plus combined exercise therapy and manual therapy. There was an antagonistic interaction between exercise therapy and manual therapy (P=0.027). Physical performance test outcomes favoured the exercise therapy group. Manual physiotherapy provided benefits over usual care, that were sustained to 1 year. Exercise physiotherapy also provided physical performance benefits over usual care. There was no added benefit from a combination of the two therapies. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12608000130369.

Learner-Controlled Self-Observation is Advantageous for Motor Skill Acquisition.

There were two main objectives of this research. First, we wanted to examine whether video feedback of the self (self-observation) was more effective for motor skill learning when the choice to view the video was provided to the learner (learner-controlled, LC) as opposed to an experimenter-controlled (EC) delivery. Secondly, we explored whether there were differences in the self-regulatory processes of self-efficacy and intrinsic motivation, as well as perceived choice between the LC and EC conditions. Two groups (LC and EC) of children (M age of 11.2 years; SD = 1.89) attempted to learn a progression of trampoline skills during a 2-day acquisition phase in which video self-observation was available. The second acquisition day was followed by a no self-observation retention test 1 day later. It was hypothesized that, during retention, the LC group would be more self-efficacious about their ability to progress through the trampoline skills, show greater intrinsic motivation and perceived choice, and go further in skill progression than the EC group. Analysis of the acquisition data showed the LC group had greater increases in self-efficacy as compared to the EC group. Results of the retention test showed that the participants in the LC group obtained higher scores on the intrinsic motivation and perceived choice measures and had higher skill progression scores as compared to the EC group. Regression analysis showed that group assignment and self-efficacy were significant predictors of the physical performance benefits noted in retention. These findings are discussed within Zimmerman’s (2004) self-regulation of learning model.

Depressive Symptoms and Physical Performance in the Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders Pilot Study

To determine whether the presence of high depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) score ≥ 14) diminished physical performance benefits after a comprehensive physical activity intervention in older adults. A post hoc analysis of data from the Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders Pilot (LIFE-P) study, a single-blind randomized controlled trial comparing a moderate-intensity physical activity intervention (PA) with a successful aging control (SA). Multicenter U.S. institutions participating in the LIFE-P trial. Four hundred twenty-four sedentary, noninstitutionalized adults aged 70 to 89. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the CES-D. Physical performance tests included the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) and 400-m walk time (400 mw) at baseline and 6 and 12 months. Of the participants, 15.8% had high depressive symptom scores (CES-D ≥ 14). For participants with low depressive symptoms, SPPB scores improved more in the PA than the SA group over 12 months (adjusted score difference +0.70; P < .001 at 6 months and +0.58; P = .004 at 12 months), and 400 mw times improved in the PA group at 6 months (adjusted score difference -0.41 minutes; P = .02). For participants with high depressive symptoms, the difference in improvement fell short of statistical significance on the SPPB between the PA and SA groups (adjusted score difference +0.76 (P = .18) at 6 months and +0.94 (P = .12) at 12 months). The presence of high depressive symptoms did not substantially diminish physical performance benefits realized after a PA intervention in sedentary older adults.

Feedforward Self-Modeling Enhances Skill Acquisition in Children Learning Trampoline Skills

The purpose of this research was to examine whether children would benefit from a feedforward self-modeling (FSM) video and to explore possible explanatory mechanisms for the potential benefits, using a self-regulation framework. To this end, children were involved in learning two five-skill trampoline routines. For one of the routines, a FSM video was provided during acquisition, whereas only verbal instructions were provided for the alternate routine. The FSM involved editing video footage such that it showed the learner performing the trampoline routine at a higher skill level than their current capability. Analyses of the data showed that while physical performance benefits were observed for the routine that was learned with the FSM video, no differences were obtained in relation to the self-regulatory measures. Thus, the FSM video enhanced motor skill acquisition, but this could not be explained by changes to the varied self-regulatory processes examined.

Observational practice benefits are limited to perceptual improvements in the acquisition of a novel coordination skill

There is disagreement about the effectiveness of observational practice for the acquisition of novel coordination skills and the type of processes involved in observation of novel movements. In this study, we examined learning of a bimanual 90 degrees phase offset through comparisons of three groups; physical practice, observational practice and no practice (n = 12/group). Groups were compared before and after practice on perception and production scans of the practised pattern. The observation group was yoked to the physical group such that observers watched repeated demonstrations of a learning model. Although there were no positive effects of observational practice for physical performance measures, the observation group did not differ from the physical practice group and was more accurate than controls on perceptual discrimination measures after practice. We concluded that observation of a novel bimanual movement can aid perception but that physical practice is necessary for immediate physical performance benefits. These results are discussed in terms of cognitive mediation models of motor skill learning.

Effects of Multivitamin Supplementation on Rate of Perceived Exertion in Aerobically Untrained College Students

The prevalence of multivitamin use has increased in the United States among nearly every population. The CDC estimates that 40-55% of Americans consume either a dietary or multivitamin supplement daily. Previous research has suggested minimal physical performance benefits among individuals following a multivitamin supplementation (MvS) period in several populations. However, no research exists focusing solely on the potential psychological benefits of MvS. PURPOSE: To determine the potential psychological benefits from a MvS period among an aerobically untrained college aged population. METHODS: Twenty-four college students (20.9±2.6yrs) were divided into three groups (placebo, multivitamin, control) and asked to perform a six minute bout of moderate (60%VO2max) followed immediately by a two minute bout of high (85%VO2max) intensity exercise on a cycle ergometer. Perceived exertion scores were recorded every two minutes for three sites (legs, chest/breathing, overall) using the OMNI-RPE Scale. Following a daily three week supplementation period, the participants repeated the six minute bout of exercise at 60% and two minute bout 85% VO2max and RPE was again determined at all three sites. Comparisons of RPE values between the three groups were measured using repeated measures one-way ANOVAs. RESULTS: No significant differences existed between the RPEs of the three groups at: Legs at two (p =.704), four (p =.813), six (p =.903), or eight (p = 1.000) minutes; Chest/Breathing at two (p =.457), four (p =.457), six (p =.438), or eight (p =.286) minutes; Overall at two (p =.222), four (p =.786), six (p =.838), or eight (p =.386) minutes. CONCLUSION: Neither the multivitamin nor the placebo group perceived the post-supplementation exercise bout to be easier compared to the control group at any RPE site, time, or intensity.

An alternative design for small‐scale school health experiments: does daily walking produce benefits in physical performance of school children?

The mainstream randomized clinical trial is not always feasible in a school setting. There might be practical and ethical issues that make dividing school classes into an intervention and a control group impossible or undesirable, and there is a need to explore the validity of alternative designs and analyses. An alternative to a randomized clinical trial in a physical performance experiment at a school is introduced and evaluated. The before-intervention data are utilized as control data for the intervention data in addition to adjust for pre-intervention differences. The strict class year structure of school data makes this possible. In a rural school in inland Norway, all school children joined the project of walking in a rugged terrain outside school for 20 min every school day during one school year. Measurements of low back static endurance, hamstrings flexibility, standing balance and cardiovascular fitness were made before and after the intervention. As intervention and 'aging' were confounded, the special use of the pre-intervention data, 'age-adjusted', is proposed to solve this issue. A comparison with having an independent control group is performed. The alternative analysing method is judged to yield valid results without having an independent control group. The age-adjusted analyses showed 11% increase in low back static endurance, 8% increase in hamstrings flexibility, 69% increase in balance and 6-13% increase in cardiovascular fitness. The effects were largest among those children who had the lowest performances before the intervention. The introduced statistical methods display that, in a school population, evaluations from an experiment can be made without an independent control group. A 20-min walk during school time for 1 year seemed to improve physical performance.

Good maintenance of physical benefits in a 12-month exercise and nutritional intervention by voluntary, home-based exercise: a 6-month follow-up of a randomized controlled trial

We assessed the maintenance of physical benefits in a 12-month exercise and nutritional intervention in postmenopausal women (55-75 years of age) after 6-month postintervention follow-up by voluntary, home-based exercise, and examined whether physical factors responded differently to high or low exercise frequency during the 6-month postintervention period. Forty-five women completed the 12-month intervention program, followed by 6-month cessation of intervention, and were compared with 19 matched controls. Twenty-one of the former exercisers reported that they continued exercise training at least 30 min at least 3 days/week (high-frequency exerciser, HFE), while the remaining 24 former exercisers reported that they had done exercise training at least 30 min twice per week or less during the postintervention follow-up (low-frequency exerciser, LFE). The following items were measured at baseline, 12, and 18 months: bone strength, CS-30 test, 10-m obstacle walk, whole-body reaction time, one-leg stance, and grip strength. After 6-month postintervention follow-up, the beneficial effect on bone was not fully maintained. These benefits in physical performance obtained in the 12-month intervention program, except one-leg stance, were fully maintained for 6 months by voluntary, home-based exercise. The gained benefit in one-leg stance was not fully maintained; LFE showed a significant decrease over the 6-month postintervention follow-up period, suggesting that continued exercise training of at least 30 min at least 3 days/week is required to maintain the balance benefit. These findings suggest that a continued exercise program of voluntary, home-based exercise may be effective to maintain the physical benefits of exercise intervention that may lower fracture risk in later life.

Perceived Barriers to and Benefits of Physical Activity among Black and White Women

This study is an examintion of the effects of race and income on leisure-time physical activity among women (n = 116). Perceived benefits of and barriers to participating in leisure-time physical activity were also compared. A regression model utilizing social cognitive variables was used to explore factors which may predict physical activity participation. No significant differences emerged between the groups regarding the amount of physical activity they reported either by race or socioeconomic status. Time expenditure emerged significantly different by race (p &lt; .001) and income (p &lt; .000); middle-income women reported time as a barrier more than lower-income women and Whites were likelier to report time as a barrier more than Blacks. Middle-income women perceived greater (p &lt; .01) physical performance benefits from exercise than lower-income women. Social interaction, time expenditure, and body mass index were the strongest predictors of physical activity. The data and findings could be useful for increaseing our understanding of economic and racial disparities in physical activity participation and garnish information for use in constructing interven programs.